I agree stchman, IMO, the factory setup is a CAI. K and N might provide a little less restriction and a better intake tube is a good choice. Which brings up a question, there are sound baffles in the factory tube, do the streamlined tubes produce additional wind noise?

I agree stchman, IMO, the factory setup is a CAI. K and N might provide a little less restriction and a better intake tube is a good choice. Which brings up a question, there are sound baffles in the factory tube, do the streamlined tubes produce additional wind noise?

Click to expand...

Yes, when I had a K&N CAI kit on my 2008 Silverado, I did notice a louder sucking sound coming from under the hood. Apparently the resonator chambers in the stock tube are designed to muffle the sound. The muffling of the sound does appear to create some restrictions in the air flow.

Indeed the factory setup does appear to be a CAI type. The CAI for the Silverado from K&N runs about $240. A drop in K&N filter is $40 while a stright tube is ~$120. You can save $80 or so by going this route.

Now the cone shaped air filter that comes with the K&N kit does have quite a bit more surface area and is probably a better filter than the drop in filter, but I cannot substantiate this.

I have a Volant CAI (and scoop) because I bought my truck used and it came with an Outlaw CAI (no longer made). After years of apparent service the special Outlaw filter fell apart and could not be replaced. Thus, I tossed a Volant under the hood because I needed a more standardized air box and liked how it looked and sounded in [MENTION=40941]aloxdaddy99[/MENTION]'s truck.

That said, if I had never had the Outlaw or the Volant (i.e. if my stock air box was what was in the truck when I bought it), I'd have removed the stock airbox, cut the bottom out of it, placed it back in the vehicle and called it 'done'. I know [MENTION=40941]aloxdaddy99[/MENTION] espouses this, too ... and he's running a Volant, as well.

That's nothing bad to say about Volant -- we like how our Volants look and sound. Rather, it's both of us trying to tell people that CAI's promise the world ... and do very little aside from alter the way things sound for the money you spend on them. You might see a few extra ponies at WOT by using a CAI ... but you can probably get most or all of those ponies for free by cutting the bottom out of the OEM air box and calling it 'done'.

I have a Volant CAI (and scoop) because I bought my truck used and it came with an Outlaw CAI (no longer made). After years of apparent service the special Outlaw filter fell apart and could not be replaced. Thus, I tossed a Volant under the hood because I needed a more standardized air box and liked how it looked and sounded in @aloxdaddy99's
Surrealone: what is WOT.....thanks...Brian from Canada
That said, if I had never had the Outlaw or the Volant (i.e. if my stock air box was what was in the truck when I bought it), I'd have removed the stock airbox, cut the bottom out of it, placed it back in the vehicle and called it 'done'. I know @aloxdaddy99 espouses this, too ... and he's running a Volant, as well.

That's nothing bad to say about Volant -- we like how our Volants look and sound. Rather, it's both of us trying to tell people that CAI's promise the world ... and do very little aside from alter the way things sound for the money you spend on them. You might see a few extra ponies at WOT by using a CAI ... but you can probably get most or all of those ponies for free by cutting the bottom out of the OEM air box and calling it 'done'.